Topics - Karmic

I realize every one of you want to spend all your waking hours here in SWTOR supporting our lovely RP and the wondermous Bioware company with your time and dollars.

But on the OFF chance you're looking to expand and want "something completely different" without spending a lot of money or having a monthly subscription - I thought I'd post up this recently released fan made "Top Ten Reasons to play Secret World in 2016" brief video. The game that is perfect when you want to play and take a break, leave and come back.

Yes, its a small niche game by a small niche company. Yes, that means smaller and slower development cycles. But unlike Bioware and SWTOR - you pay once for the main game and often less than 5 bucks for mission packs (after you finish the entire main game) after that - AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO SPEND A SINGLE PENNY TO DO ANYTHING ELSE! AND DO EVERYHTING IN GAME!

Yes that's right. YOu can run dungeons all day, play every single quest, grab every single loot, have as much money as you want and as many outfits as you want and level up at a normal pace - all without spending one more penny on the game outside of the cost of buying the content up front.

And right now, mmm about every 3-4 months Steam and Funcom (both at the same time or at different times) they have huge sales on the Main Game and all the issues in order to get people to buy in. So you can literally get all the content released up to *right now* for less than 30 bucks (sometimes less than 20), on sale.

ANd never have to spend another dime. There is no cash gated content.

Everything you can do with cash - is all extra. Sure, some of its useful like portable banks and XP boosters. Some of it is awesome like neat clothing. But its all extra-fluff you don't at all need for anything in game. You can get your sprints without the store in the game, or you can buy them outright. But nothing that you need to play the game as well as anyone else is not available in game, without touching the store.

Some of you I know played this years ago. Some of you have never played it. I occasionally run into some of our old players THERE (and that's wow random! Did so last week we were both shocked at our level of kismet!). Its an entirely different setting than anything else out there; entirely different feel and gameplay than anything else out there (at least released in the US that I've ever seen or played...).

As one player here once said to me about it, "Its like MMOs if WoW never existed."

As someone who bought grandmaster (lifetime subber status) years ago I never once have not wanted to play this game - chomped at the bit for released content. I've never once been disappointed by the storylines, voice acting, cutscenes... far more deep, thoughtful, and engaging than anything in SWTOR. Than anything in any game I've played since, actually.

"Where Everything is True." All Myths, all cultures' myths, conspiracies, lovecraftian visions... ALL ARE TRUE in The Secret World. And we (you) are here to find out why and find out how to stop the evil that's here and the more coming. Angels to Elder Gods, to Demons and Vampires, to Draug, to Ents, to alternate parallel universes and the portals between them - all are here, and all are happening. In a modern day setting taking place right now in 2016.

And the Lore... the writing... masterful. Truly. I would never have thought this level of research knolwedge and lore would ever go into making a video game, much less an MMO. The "Lore FOrums" are pages and pages of players using what clues the game lore gives us doing resarch in the IRL "mythos" the lore draws *directly* from to solve the greater questions of the game. And it really does involve deep rich NPCs that are pulled from the rich and varied mythologies from across the world - usually "themed" by what is native to the area you're playing in (*mostly* But you gotta play the game to find out why Viking Undead are haunting the shores of the New England Coast...). Writing done from all types of viewpoints - and very little of it is "3rd person narrative."

Holiday events; and even with their niche game - NEW CONTENT for Holiday Events!! EVERY YEAR!

Now - I'm not a Funcom Fangurl. Not at all. I tried AoC, I quit AoC. I've been *grrr* at them over the years from all types of issues - but never their direction and support of *this* game and storyline. And despite all the hardships the company has had in the last few years (and its been a lot...), they've supported this game and moved forward with its development and content with teh same attention to quality and STORY as they had at launch. They may flog the crap out of the store to generate money, but they don't take the story in the game for a ride (at least not yet). And ...that matters to me - "Old CYnical Gamer" that I am.

And only a few months ago Funcom was gifted, surprisingly, with a huge backer who took care of their financial situation at the time and is fully supporting them as they move forward - in Secret World and in their new directions (trying a lot of /different/ ideas at least). So hope is higher than ever for me that this game is definitely sticking aorund and will continue development! (Seriously, total shock to the dev team too they were posting about the bottles popping when they got the news of the backer.)

TLDR THE BOLD --If you want more details then please PM me and I can give them. But if you're into any type of scifi and horror gaming - sick of the beaten-to-death fantasy genre in mmo/games - and want to get away from the "Level up/pick a talent point/grind exp" model of the "World of MMOs since at least WoW" - then please, give this game a try.

If you want to see why this is the only game in existence that Karmic enjoyed so much she played the quests more than once and continues to repeat them.... Give this game a try!

--more discussion--Its a very cheap (comparitively in this gaming world) buy in price for a game that you can literally never spend another dime in and come visit once every few months to have fun. I go between new content without playing, but since I dont' pay a monthly fee - I don't really feel that pressure to have to login and find something to do. So its always fun when I do login - even if its to do old content!!

I often wish I could stop subbing to SWTOR (I use to not be) because I just realy don't want to support this game/Bioware anymore than I already am when I buy expansions/packs etc. But their limits so far have kept me subbed.

I can't throw enough money at Funcom to support this game and keep it alive to see what they can do next with it. I bought grandmaster and I get free points every month and every month I buy more points just to give them more money because I know they need the support to keep the game going. At least they are making me feel my money goes to support a game and an idea that I enjoy.

Here, I'm paying to have access to the money in game I already have. That's it.

Sorry, I love this game and just sharing the happy in the hopes that others can find the happy too :).

And the video has to be spread around!! If you don't like it - I bet you know someone who will!!

I figured if we can have a thread about one movie, and some books, and some music....

Well we need a general thread about ALL movies you may or may not have seen recently - that you may or may not wish to praise/gripe about.

Personally I see almost exclusively "movies for guys who like movies" movies, and dramas. Not normally Romcoms and usually not even romantic dramas.

As such I usually like a lot of movies that lots of people like across the nerd circle.

So got any interesting or great movies you've seen recently?

Got any "oh my Kriff this was HORRIBLE!! Seriously..." movies you've seen recently? Ones that just pissed you off?

Is the upcoming Wonder Woman in Batman V. Superman pissing you off because why (as in why is she there?) Is it pissing you off that Afleck has decided he wants to make his very own Batman movie all on his own, so he's directing one... for himself... and stuff.

Is Wonder Woman an alien? (ok...seperate topic but I wondered that after the preview I don't really know..)

I love movies. I love talking about movies - good and bad. I love crap movies; I love B movies (sometimes). I love (some) animae movies.

But writing up Karmic's wikki finally - how does the WIKKI STYLE - or how is everyone else - denotating Pre/Post KOTFE Character information (if things change?)

If you wrote it before the time-skip and are updating it to post-time skip how are you guys denoting (if you are) what is "post time skip" Character information?

Are you keeping both separate? Are you using (Post KOTFE) notices mid-paragraph? Are you changing the whole page to "just post KOTFE" and time-skipping all of it to a "new current."

Just kinda not sure how to handle this - esp. with my character still RPing both time-sides right now; there are some significant changes and differences for her and her status/behavior/appearance pre and post-KOTFE and I didn't know what would be the "cleanest" way to fit it on the WIKKI??

When I first got this idea, like.. early in Kezie's plot - it was simply to allow Moirae to have a wrap-up scene that people outside the Guild & Friends would have a hook in/ conversational topic to discuss at whatever public function they may attend next. Get the word out that yes, actually, Moirae does STUFF... and that was about it.

But as IRL time interfered, as the plot got bigger, and my thoughts in my head got bigger - we hadn't yet had the execution scene BEFORE we had the opportunity to catch a corrupted NPC Jedi - and of course - well then we had to throw him into the execution too!

And from there - it came down to me having the following line of thought: Knowing the history of this population on this planet when it comes to public executions and the bloodthirsty nature of humanity; what would a Sith execution really be like? When literally dozens of thousands of humans already show up for public executions in our own past (including this century) - how would a mass populace innundated with violence and death as not only acceptable, but required, for existance and entertainment - respond to public executions?

And beyond that - How would a public execution with Sith go? What would that experience be like?

The scene wrote itself from there. I know I didn't do the extravagant sexualized nature of such violence (and the Darkside of the Force) justice; but I hope I at least am able to provide the impression for you to carry off from there. Trust me, it was a whole bunch of really nice fun.

Special Thanks to: Members of Moirae, Wraith, and the "Independents" who took part in this plot over the last few months. Events made it so we had to wrap it up a bit faster; but it made it no less fun while it lasted. Special thanks to @Kezie who designed this foray of events for us all to take part in and @SivWysan who worked to make it more cross-faction. And thanks to Aylaa for the newscaster image =D.

All apologies on my end for taking so long to write it from my head to the paper - all mistakes are on me! The good fun is on them! I hope you'll all jump in to add your reactions at the end; this post - much like the event is MEANT to be a Group Effort!

The Following broadcast would transmit all through official, and I'm sure many unofficial, channels as well - all over the galaxy.

THIS IS INN - IMPERIAL NEWS NETWORK - COUNTDOWN TO EXECUTION - LIVE - ONLY ON INN

"Yes, tonight is special, Bekka, " Burt, the almost equially coiffed newsman on the other side of the desk, replied, "Tonight is the start of what, we are told, the Council hopes to be a regular occurance. Tonight, INN Has exclusive LIVE coverage of the public execution about to start, in Kaas City." Burt looks to Bekka, as she takes over.

"And its already been a busy, busy, day for those fortunate few able to file into Kaas tonight. All day long people have been arriving, getting sorted and checked in, and then spending their time seeing the city or visiting all the vendors and merchants who have turned out to capitalize on this event. Its been a regular festive atmosphere there on Kaas all day, Burt."

"Yes, I think its fair to say the city, and more, has turned out to mark this momentous occasion, Bekka. And just within a few minutes here, we're only waiting on word, we'll turn it over to our team on the ground.

Between the two anchors popped a display of what was apparently the current camera view of a waiting-and-ready Kaas City. Center square was a large elevated platform over the street and on top of that was another raised platform - presumably the site of actual execution as it was easily and clearly visible from all angles at its elevated postion. Behind and centered about 30 feet above the stage was a huge holo- screen. The entire scene draped with Imperial colors and banners, as well as a few banners representing Moirae - the black spiked-wheel on a field of grey, holding the all-seeing-eye in the center.

"We're just getting word now, The Atropos is heading up to start the proceedings. Let's tune in LIVE as the INN, gives you uninterrupted coverage of the public executions in Kaas.

The newscasters fade out as the station brings Kaas City Camera 1 into fullscreen - filling holoscreens everywhere with the image of the bustling center of Kaas. The crowds were packed, wall to wall - throngs of people filled almost every available space that had a vantage point of the execution platform. The Imperial Guard, their red capes and helmets easily visible among the dark clothing and robes, stood in a line between the crowd and the stage and along the outside edges ready to 'keep the peace' if it became necessary. But one had to wonder that if the sheer number of visible Sith Lords otherwise surrounding the area, watching from the walkways and balconies above the city floor, didn't perturb any unruliness - then what difference would a couple more dozen Imperial Guards really make?

Burt's voice breaks in with commentary, "Here you can see that lively crowd as it waits for the appearance of The Atropos which will start the festivities in ernest..." the camera pans to various shots of the crowd partaking in various activities to pass the time and in the background vendors of all types could be seen going up and down the lines of the crowds, hawking their wares, trying to cash in on the day.

Suddenly, the black-cowled and masked Atropos steps from two large doors that open onto the platform off the left side, walking with purpose towards the center of the stage. On her back is a large, double-bladed, War Staff. Behind her comes a taller, bulkier, robed and masked figure who walks with similiar stride, but carries no visible weapon. As the pair make their way to the center, the crowd goes quiet. Whether in fear or anticipation or both is anyone's guess.

"Oh, and here she comes now! She's walking from the building on the leftside of your display. There she is - that's the Atropos, followed closely behind by the Hyperion. Both dressed all in black and in masks to help keep them from being targets of the enemy. Did you know Bekka, Hyperion stands for 'Guardian', and of course the Atropos is seen nowhere without the Hyperion by her side." "No Burt, I did not realize that." "Clearly, the crowd is mesmerized by her apperance and even the Sith Lords have gone quiet."

Indeed as the camera pans again among the crowd, as it zooms in on the Sith, they stand stock still and silent. Their eyes seeming to move as one as they track the Atropos across the stage. What noone but the Sith realized; though, is that they were watching the Atropos's Darkside ability, her control, as she moved. Her conscious display of Force Power - Darkness wrapped not only around her but flowing behind her and out in all directions for several dozen feet - was for their eyes and senses only - a warning?a challenge? a display of pride? They just watched, and waited. Several of them trying to penetrate her protective shielding, trying to determine her identity, the limits of her power, and only failing. Whoever, whatever, she was - there would be no finding out today.

The camera pans back to the center platform, where the Hyperion has stopped short of the main stage and faced the crowd standing 'at parade rest.' He makes no other movement nor speaks a word for the entire ceremony until it is finished.

I apologize now if this should have gone in "World/Community" Building forum. I wasn't sure which it belonged in "more" so please feel free to move this if it needs to go down there.

This is entirely OOC and has to do with the Summit Meetings and this Forum so - I had the impression it went here; whereas more "IC" centric ideas go in the World/Community Building Forum :).

I've been wanting to start this suggestion/discussion for awhile but held off thinking perhaps I'm "one of the few" feeling this way. But after the recent discussion prompted by the IC Senate/Council discussion thread I realize that no, I'm not the only one and that perhaps suggestions to improve this problem could be implemented.

One - this thread is NOT AT ALL about Bashing the Server Summits - the way they are held, conducted, etc. I think this is a great thing we are trying to put together and coordinate between all the "groups" on the server (as in RP, PVE, PVP, etc...) so everyone gets more access to what they find fun on our server. This thread is NOT AT ALL wanting to replace or cancel such meetings OR Change their purpose. So please, if you want to do that - start your own thread :).

Two - while this thread is for trying to help with suggestions and therefore there will be complaints (that the suggestions are meant to help) please keep them constructive and as positive as possible. If all you want to do is /rant - make your own thread. By the same token, if all you want to do is post a defense of why "this isn't a problem" - make your own thread. This thread is here to solve issues. Not create them.

The fact that I'm making this thread says that YES actually there is a problem - so please don't dismiss the concerns posting here as irrelevant because you don't feel/experience them. I already have several suggestions for helping the situation, so please - come with suggestions and ideas not slams and dismissals!

Overriding problem I've felt and am seeing: Feeling left out of "decisions" being made by "other people", or important discussions - due to XYZ reasons of not being able to attend Summits regularly.

I put "decisions" and "other people" in quotes for a reason - because these are assumptions being made by those not able to attend. They may very well be false ideas/assumptions - but because the person isn't able to attend, they have no way to correct the ideas.

And it is the assumption that leads to bad feelings and negativity - there are several fancy psychology words for the type of Bias this is - the "Us vs. Them" only being one of them - but I don't care to go into all that. Suffice it say - its normal, its human, and its TO BE EXPECTED in a situation like this where it is perceived that a "few" are gathering/discussing the concerns of "many" - and then "making decisions."

I'm not here to pick apart the assumption. You can't make people stop thinking that. What we we CAN DO is put other things in place that address the issue, inform as much as possible the greatest number of people of what is actualy going on, so there's no assumption/bias to have to deal with - as much. Yes, still outliers - but outliers are well... what they are.

Also - we've already had the incident, several times, where people have come to the forum (some new) and made the statement "this was discussed at the Summit and so we wanted to...." only for the rest of us to go, "Whazzit? What are we talking about? What was discussed? What was said at the discussion?" Which has led to problems getting the point of the thread/post - instead of a discussion of the actual idea.

I want the Server Summits to be as active and influential in creating harmony on this server as they can possibly be - but that means making further effort to include those that feel excluded. Include those who wish to be included, but for whatever IRL reason, can't make the summit.

In a former MMO life I played in a game that did something simliar to this. It had in-game-server meetings between various guild representatives to spread IC and OOC information, keep track of plots, keep everyone on the same page, handle issues, etc. etc. It was very successful for awhile, until ripped apart by that same "Us vs. Them" mentality that people who couldn't attend the meetings fell into. I hope we can prevent that from happening here; because it really was a misunderstanding of intent. These suggestions come from that experience, and watching the simmerings of what tore it apart starting here.

~~~~(please note: caps are for emphasis - for the TLDR of the statement - not a sign of emotional typing)~~~

So how can we help the feeling that those unable to attend the meeting have no idea who/what's going on, discussed, what's decided, what's up for discussion for the next summit - etc.

FIRST SUGGESTION - and to me "easiest" to implement suggestion - HAVE A RECORD KEEPER/NOTE TAKER of MINUTES OF THE MEETING.

I don't mean someone has to write/type down every single word said in chat or over vent. Having not been to a summit meeting yet (because IRL scheduling has not allowed me too), I don't know how organized the discussions are vs. chaos of just random people talking on ideas. I know there's a loose agenda of some kind, only because its been mentioned here.

So if its a bit disorganized and people piping in with comments- then no there is no need for someone to write down every word of every discussion as that would just be exhaustive to keep track of and noone wants/needs to read through all that for the salient information.

BUT - a designated minutes/note taker person would be responsible for getting the SALIENT points. For the less verbal, for getting the RELEVANT points of discussion - A summary of the various points made in the discussion of XYZ topic; the direction of the conversation/discussion - whether it was tabled for more information to be gathered and decided at a later meeting or if a decision was made, what decision was it?

These notes need to be posted here, on the forums, within a reasonable time (like 7-10 days) after a Summit so that if any of the issues need to be discussed HERE on the Forums because someone needs clarification; because its something that should be discussed among many before deciding; or maybe because those that make most of the Summits want to get a wider audience of feedback then they get at the meetings before they move forward with an idea. This also allows those of us unable to attend the Summit to give definitive and topical feedback from our own fingers instead of hoping/relying on the 3-5 who can attend the summit from this community to represent what our opinion/feedback is.

Those 3-5 cant, and won't, know the feelings of the rest of the community - so let the rest of the community have an opportunity to join the feedback. And don't say "Then go to the meeting." For some of us that really isn't much of a reliable option. It doesn't mean we don't want to be active - it just means help us!

Now before I get people saying "you can't keep up" "there are no logs so we can't keep track." I call BanthaPoodoo on you! People have been doing exactly this for decades before VOIP was a reality. I MYSELF did this BY TYPING HAND at the aforementioned meetings - there was no VOIP existing, there were no chat logs to post or even to use as a reference. I typed, by hand, everything said by everyone (obviously in a word program) and then posted it up in an easy to follow format to the forums - every couple of months we had these meetings.

It can be done. It only takes someone (or 2-3 someones for people who can't make every meeting) committing to doing this.

And quite frankly, if we can't find a way to do this - I'm not sure the "Summit" gatherings are ever going to do what they want to do because the longer these meetings happen and noone besides who shows up has any idea what's being discussed or decided - then moving forward you're going to get more and more resentment and dismissal from the larger section of the populace who can't make them. Its noone's fault. Its just human nature. Please, let's prevent that from happening here.

I think having a Minute Person would solve many of the issues of communication back and forth - and have it really feel like a "Community" summit where the most people possible are getting their feedback heard.

SUGGESTION TWO -

In addition to "Overall Minutes" (or perhaps instead of but again I highly encourage the first..) - if we had those people at the Summit who, upon hearing an issue or decision needing to be made - or suggestion being given - to bring the Exact Specific Issue/Discussion to the Forums for further discussion/feedback from everyone here - and then that SAME Person taking it back to the next Summit for further evolution/decision/whatever.

This again would mean volunteers from this forum community (the idea being they are more aware than those outside this forum community of possible concerns/etc.) agreeing to, at that particular Summit (from whomever showed up..), to say "Hey - I can see this is a big issue. Let me open that up for discussion on the FOrums for everyone and bring that back next Summit to move on."

This, for example, could have been a better setup to solve the IC Senate/Council idea/discussion thread than just random person volunteering to give an explanation - when the rest of us responding don't know where they are coming from, what was discussed, what's going on, etc. Having someone already familiar with posting on the forums, to present in a readable manner the important points of the concerns/ideas being raised and opening the floor from there. It would also allow for whatever talk going on in the forums - for whatever good points are made pro/con - to be SUMMARIZED by the person going BACK to the next Summit for that meeting - in order to move forward.

(hope that made sense).TLDR - if we don't want to put up summary notes - then please at the very least have people bringing the Summit Major Topics of Discussion/Decision making starting a thread here - EXPLAINING what was discussed/brought up/concern of those at the Summit Meeting - and then opening it up for true public discussion.

Both of these suggestions allow for everyone that can attend the meetings AND everyone who visits these forums semi-regularly, to feel they have a voice and a way of influencing what's going on without feeling /excluded because they can't make an OOC meeting, or because they aren't wanting to be on the forums.

Any more suggestions that make the exchange of information more fluid and consistent? Any more ideas for helping people - from as many situations as possible - stay up to date on what the Summit Meetings are about? Any more ideas for helping a feeling of INCLUSION and not exclusion?

~~~Quick note: I am using these forums for the other half of the format because I'm feeling that trying to do this on the overall game forums would not be half as productive. It is not to say I don't think the meetings shoudln't be advertised on the main game forums - I think they should be. As should this site as well. But I worry if we take the "open discussion of points" to the main forums you'll get too many trolls/people who have no stake in any of it (i.e. aren't joining any of this at all...) giving their opinions and what they want to see happen and that becomes impossible to manage or even follow...

I... think this would be the right forum to ask this in. It pertains to RP and maybe others have this question as well.

Or maybe we can keep this as a running list of "active in-game fighting zones."

NOT being a Lore person, and horrible with names (including planets...), as well as not seeing the story for some zones in literally, years - I'm constantly having the issue of "Where can I put Karmic killing Pubbies?" In a forum thread/short-story format.

So I'm asking those of you who know better than me - CURRENTLY - right *now* as of level 60-post-Ziost - where are the active skirmish/battles zones that the Empire and the Republic are fighting each other?

When I want to make a fight-story-post; or I want to use it as a background for something - I need to know what planets/areas I can stick Karmic on for fighting some Pubbies and know that I didn't just blow up the last year of gameplay (like say if I stuck her on Illum at this point...?).

But I'm noticing in the list of people's names who are online/been online in the last 24 hours - they are now in two different fonts. Some names are "normal" as they've always looked to me, but now some are also bolded and a bit blue-er as a result of the bold.

Is it just me? And what does it mean for the bolded vs. unbolded names if not? Got me curious now that I've noticed it!

IRL and in game drama is not mixing well for me right now, and it hasn't for some time.

So in an effort to preserve the RP I have with people, but also in an effort to save my sanity without having to quit the game and my lovely RPing friends.... I have decided to just take a step back for the foreseeable future, and see how it goes.

Karmic will no longer be regularly appearing at any public function - Kween, Kaas, or Barge nights. She will be working more behind-the-scenes ICily in managing the barge, its not that she's 'quitting' the entire thing or anything - we just won't be there anymore during the weekly events.

I will be posting and interacting less here on the forums. I'm still going to be here regularly reading, I will be updating my own story posts with her further adventures as they happen - and of course my PMs forward to my email so I will always know when to come answer those :) .

Overall for me this just means I won't be logging into game unless I already have set RP plans with someone.

But I WILL be continuing my RP with people I am RPing with currently and am HAPPY to meet new people to RP with and/or if anyone has RP they need to attend to with Karmic PLEASE - I am not off limits here - just poke me online when you see me there and let me know what's up! Or send me a PM to schedule something to make sure I"m online to do stuff!

Karmic isn't dying, she isn't isolating herself and never coming out or anything. She'll be around in the background RPing among everyone - turning her attention more to KI business things and her own personal journey - as recent IC events have had her feeling a need to step away and recenter herself. She's stepping away from Imperial-focused life for awhile and taking a much needed rest.

I just wanted to post this publicly as an explanation so I don't have to explain it 15 times a night in whispers when I don't show up at things people are thinking I'm going to be going to =D. I'll be active in OOC still because I can't help but chat with you guys, and as I said, open for any and all RP that comes my way - I just won't be around at the more public events to pick-up the RP with or to be available for chitty-chats that way.

I don't know when, if ever I'll be stepping back into a more public role with Karmic. I"d like to, but it will just depend on how IRL and the game pan out over the next few weeks/months as I try to situate myself.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful RP for the past two years - It is my good friends here that kept me from just quitting and instead trying this instead - to see if once my burnout and issues pass I end up wanting to get all up into everything again :).

There will be an IC post soon explaining the IC movement with this - and I wnated to make sure I posted this first so that way the IC post won't make it look like I'm just disappearing entirely.

1- Going out of the country with the family on a cruise (Brin we going to South America! ) starting this coming up Saturday through the next Sunday. April 26th-May4th. Friday night Bargy-Time will be my last opportunity to be on the internet (much less in game) for Arppeeess for a whole WEEK *twitches*.

So if anyone had anything they wanted to run by me or Karmic or RP something out that needed to happen in the next two weeks, tell me NOW so I can put you on my RP time slots for this week and we can get it done. If you don't RP it with me by Friday it won't happen until after the 4th of May. So if you got something please let me know as I don't want to miss RP I loves it!! So get with me!

Otherwise, obviously, be back in game by Monday the 5th at the latest. Probably Sunday night the 4th depending on energy level and how much nap I took in the car ride home from Nawlins.

~~~

2 - Much more long-term projected outwards. Just wanting to lay it all out on the table now so everyone knows what's going on with me over the next... six months to a year. And what has been happening on this end for the last 8 months actually...

And.... As it will be (and has) effecting my RP and my time and even my ability to be at events or RP I agreed to show up too.. randomly and in unpredictable ways...

And triple And - because honestly I dont' care that you guys know this. Its not a secret or anything to be embarrassed about XD, and now at least when I go poof on someone you have some sort of an idea what might be going on. And because I'm tired of people NOT knowing...

*chuckles and just says it*

My husband has Epilepsy. He's had it since he was a child, and up until this past summer it was under very good control with medication. Unfortunately, starting this past summer, his meds have stopped working very well. Since this past summer we've been on weekly (literally...every week..) med changes as his doctors tried everything at our disposal to bring his seizures back under control. And every week, changing and raising doses and then switching meds...gives him 7-10 days of pretty good to shitty control before another thing gets changed and we go rounds again.

We ran out of medication options and changes between Thanksgiving and Xmas of last year. We are tweaking it with what we have left, but obviously, as a result, problems have been increasing this year and he's gone from having a few seizures in a month, to sometimes 5 or 7 a *night*. Now, my husband only has seizures in his sleep (ever only) and he has not had a really bad grand mal seizure, still, in about 5 years. The seizures he has at night are considered "partial" seizures, but as you can imagine they certainly don't help for sleep and rest and work - and certainly are extremely stressful and cause emotional stress and instability.

Meanwhile we have both been maintaining a full work schedule as much as possible to setup for what is about to come...

Which leads me to this post. My husband is now being evaluated for brain surgery. Its actually the outcome we've always hoped he would become eligible for because it means if he can qualify for the surgery he could be *CURED*. So as scary or as "horrible" as a statement of "going to brain surgery YEA!" may sound, it really is a good thing.

However, the evaluation process takes at least 4-6 months and through any of it at any time they could turn him down and reject him for surgery. And over all of this time, he's not getting any better control on his medications and as mentioned previously, other than tweaking things, we have no options or possibility this is suddenly going to get "so much better!" again before he gets to surgery.

We're already both emotionally exhausted and strained with all of this, and we're looking at up to another ryear of it.

He goes in May 19th for his first round of hospital stays for them to start evaluating him and getting things on scans and nuclear machines and all the fun stuff there.

So I wanted to just post this now to give everyone a head's up. I won't be posting every week or anything, but now that we are moving on surgery preparation I know things could get even more crazy.

I apologize now for any RP I miss that I think I can make. I'm apologizing now for events I have to cancel on at the last minute, or if I go poof for 3 days and miss things and no one hears from me. I apologize now, as I have for the last few months to those closest to me, if I go off on you in OOC or suddenly seem snippy or stressed out or just overreacting to something. I am very very sorry when it happens and I apologize now profusely for it because I know I can't garentee it WON"T happen.

So I hope if I do seem not myself, or if I suddenly disappear without warning, or if I suddenly go off and seem to rant for no reason - that people try to be understanding with me and know that I am trying the best I can to handle IRL right now and seek escape in my fun relaxing RP world and friends. This place is an escape for me right now and RP helps me forget about my stress for a few hours each night and just have fun and relax! I'm so glad I have it...but I also don't want to piss too many people off because my reliability could go down the toilet.

I'm also explaining why I may seem to shy away from conflictual RP for awhile, or shy away from any RP that starts to bring "too much drama" Even if its all pure IC drama - just because I can't take any more drama anywhere right now...even if its just Karmic's. I will of course tell someone this outright. Just hoping people will understand why I might be IC-disagreement/conflict/fight/sad thing happened - shy for a bit. I just can't take too much sad/drama things in RP when my life is used up for that quotient right now :).

At any point in time at night, my husband could wake up into a seizure and I may just go poof on you to go help him. I will try and at least spout a "emergency AFK be back when I can sorry!" post before I go poof but, just in case, this is why that happens.

At any point in time his neurologists could call him in with little notice to come to the hospital for another test or whatever he has to do. Meaning we're packing up and spending a few days at the hospital so any chance of me k nowing when I will be available goes to nil. This actually happened last weekend where out of the blue we ended up going to the Hopsital last Thursday and stayed through Sunday...

Thank you everyone for being understanding. I have no plans to leave or go anywhere and as I have like 5 ways of getting at least on this forum and posting up notices or sending PMs to people I need to to let them know whats' going on - I doubt it will be ever often that I can't post up SOMETHING here to say "hey guys sorry I had to skip out on you..hubby health stuff..." I just ask for the understanding that when and if it happens, please understand that I HATE HATE HATE not being reliable or not following through and it is only when it is out of my control that I have to "stand people up." Or out of my control that I just drop out of game without warning and don't come back.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you for the well wishes and support and hugs I've already gotten and that I know I will continue to get from yous guys...

I'm sorry now if I overstep or misstep or misunderstand something or read something wrong entirely. I only ever ask that if I do, please, come talk to me and let us talk about whatever happened in the hopes that I can apologize and set right what I may have stepped wrong in.

And if anyone has any questions of course feel free to ask.

Thank you everyone. Now back to your regularly scheduled shenanigans! And I'm off for a week of fun in the sun...in 6 days!!

I'm looking to see if I've just...forgotten...overlooked... Sith guild options that we have going right NOW in this community.

Moirae is Dead.

I'd love to join another Guild, but I won't shoehorn her into something that doesn't fit for her character, or would result in the vast majority of guildmates trying to shoot her for ever saying "Hello" to a member of the Republic... XD

But from what I've seen in the last couple of months, as far as Sith Side Rpers and Sith Side Guilds that are (as a unit) active in *our* community of RPers... There's ...almost no options.

At all. Its kinda sad... very sad actually.

I know we have The Tenebrous Gospel. Though the vast majority of their activities, unfortunately, are when I'm at work :( STUPID TIMEZONES!!

There's TGI

I know Illi/Aylaa's Guild switched over to um.. Their House? Not really sure if you guys are an active "guild" or not anymore or if its more personal RP stuff.

And....?

Like seriously, I can't think of any other options that I've seen in regular activity in our community since..Um. The start of this Year.

Did I just forget someone? Or do we just have crap numbers Sith side?

((Keeping in mind, I do know there are other Sith RP guilds that are not active with this community. As well as non-RP guilds that have members who are active in our community. I'm REALLY wanting a heavy RP guild where at least some members are active in our community... guilds that are not a part of our community I have no interest in. As are non-RP guilds, at least right now.))

Ok, so since I have no pictured editing skills and no photoshop myself...

I need a wonderful person who knows how to do this sort of thing to help me out.

All I need is for you to take a few pictures I've found and change the human skin to pureblood color :). A nice dark-reddish - purply hue for all the human skin in the pictures. Like...maybe..3-5 pictures total.

Or if anyone knows if you can do this with the free-program GIMP - I'll take instructions. I have that but I have no idea if it can do this or how to do this.

I'm thinking this doesn't take long but since I have no clue maybe it does! =D

Either way - someone bored enough to edit a few shots for me so I can make a new signature and stuff? =D I even know how to do the signature stuff myself but I have no clue how to change the skin color.

(And Aylaa I know you did my avatar way back when but I didn't want to volunteer you for this automatically LOL)

And if this is a big job then please let me know and I can like... thank you more? Offer up something in return? I have no idea...

Just had some great ideas for a new Karmic sig, as I'm playing with some ideas that might lead to some different directions with her, I was like "ZOMG PERFECT!"

1- I think the idea to pick a planet area and classify it as the "place to go to attack things" is a great idea. Just as we did with Slopes and Barge and the Cantina on Kwenn it is *always* helpful if you want to try and gather those of like minds and like interests to pick a place in game they know they can go to - to participate in those things.

Just as most are aware that if they are bored and looking to see if anyone's around to RP they can go to the Slopes for "best odds" it would be just as good and cool and strong to say the same about some other location in game where people know they can go and find some good combat/conflict RP.

Because you're right, the people who are looking for that don't really have any place right now that they know they can engage in that activity and definitely run into others who are open to the same.

So please I hope those who are interested in this idea DO decide what planet and what *specific area* we (as a community) are going to try and use for this!! Cuz yea just "Belsavis" or "Hoth" or "Illum" or whatever is waaayyyy too broad as these are huge planets and Bioware has really separated out the faction areas so that it can be quite difficult to run into other people from the other faction if you don't already know where everyone's going.

So figure out what planet you want whatever planet to be (whether actually in game or substituting for imaginary planet not in game) and find a nice area that is EASILY accessible to BOTH sides and then direct people to that AREA. Because just saying "Ok Hoth is open combat"... yea I could drive around for hours on Hoth and never know someone else was there looking. So definiltey need to get an idea of a small range of area for people to use to be able to FIND each other.

If ya'll can't FIND each other its really hard to have the RP everyone's looking for when they show up there. I would also suggest that at least to start with, people pick a night a week, a time slot or something, and commit themselves to showing up for an hour or two at that time to get the "idea of the zone" moving forward.

Just saying "ok show up here whenever" won't stick and wont' work if people just go there randomly from the beginning and then find they don't run into anyone for days at a time. People will stop going after they try once or twice and find nothing. And the whole idea will fall apart. Which would suck cuz I think its a great idea and would work if a small group of people commit to the idea for a month or so and establish it.

2 - As others have said in this thread I will say again because it really needs to be said. If you have something you want to see happen - then start making it happen yourself. Now unlike what others have said, I do see the point in continued talks and posts on the forums - but at the end of the day, "fish or cut bait." You want combat RP to be happening then be engaging in it. You want to foster XYZ events that lead to this and plot lines then... start planning and playing XYZ out so that it happens. Don't rely on everyone else to provide what it is you want.

Which leads to my third point - and those of you who don't care to read anything more than what I agree with and encourage can stop now. Those of you who are wondering where the cross-faction RP conflict went and why we "never have any" can keep reading - and I hope those of you wanting to start something up yourself and plan the next big thing (go for it btw, if I can help let me know... I can try if it fits for Karmic) I hope will read the following and try to avoid the big mistakes of the past.

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I do encourage Sithies to start planning evil things. C'mon peeps, make me want to hide in the beer barrel.And Pubbies start being heroes. What happened to dashing men rescuing damsels in distress?

This logic is part of the reason few are left around Empire side who are engaging in a lot of "big" cross-faction type conflictual RP "events". Its not good vs. evil. Its not black and white. Win, Losing, Draw - are big concepts and all three COULD happen to "end" a big-faction conflict instead of just 'ok now Republic you be heroes and stop the mean Sith and you mean Sith... well you end up getting stomped on so you just have to be good with that.."

Why is there no big cross-faction Conflict arc going on?

Because the last one that ended six months ago ended with a whole slew of people with a bad taste in their mouth to do it again. The people who organized the event, took breaks from events and/or swore off events entirely... because of how the community acted when we were trying to stage what was suppose to be a "middle" event - that ended up being the "END" event of the entire plot arc. And the end of a guild for the most part.

For over 8 months Moirae and others worked to give this server the scenario and cause to let everyone have a huge cross-faction reason to have cross-faction conflict. Complete with RPed events, constant tension, traitors, double agents, and even the RP-PVP events (so to speak as I call them) where the two factions were free to stabbity stabbity at each other.

We've had such events in this community before. So for all of you people going "XYZ never happens" actually that's not true at all - it happens at least once if not twice a year. And what happens EVERY time something like this gets going...

...by the end of it.. half the people who participate don't want to do something like it again for a long time. They get burned on trying to give the community cross-faction conflictual, fighting, RP and *those individuals* then go "You know what.. .I'm not doing this again for awhile.. if ever again..." The plot weavers and storytellers are wanting to put themselves out there less and less.

And so each pool of people who are willing to offer themselves up as the "other side/bad side" in the conflict get less and less.

We are having a ..downward trend.. in the number of groups of active Sith Rpers. Period. We are.. having a downtrend in the number of active Sith players.. On top of that a distinct loss of several Sith Rpers who were the most open to this type of play, who are sick of being shat on, and are no longer wanting to step forward and do this. Both major players and major GMs who, after the Moirae Finale, have stepped away from that roll because of the fallout and drama.

And the Moirae guild - decimated and possible disbanding. The guild has never recovered. From a plotline that up until the very final event, everyone was quite enjoying and happy with. The event that wasn't even suppose to be a final event, but was because ...no one in the Moirae wanted to continue with it anymore because of how it fell out.

So those who want to bring back this type of RP - I wish you all the luck in the world. Because you're right, this community needs it. And on the small scale, that is more controlled, and true plot oriented (i.e. there's some idea at the beginning how its going to end) works *really* well around here. I only need point to say the Malagant Fight Thread to point to how something can be done right - where everyone gets to shine in their own way regardless of whether they win or lose.

But so far on the large scale - where there's less organization or idea of how things are going to go and how they are going to wrap up - it just seems to blast this community again over and over and leaves it weaker in the aftermath each time. With each time a few more players getting more and more fed up.

So this community also needs to remember that if it wants to continue to have enough people on the other side to play against, then they need to start adjusting how they treat and deal with the people who play the characters on the other side, or else there won't be any left who are willing to try it again.

~~~

Having said all that - I very much believe a conflict-planet is a great idea and for people to run with it. You don't need a huge plot to offer up such an idea or location and therefore may not run the risk of so much drama.

And anyone with any cross-faction server wide Plots they are thinking about moving forward with, I'd love to try again... again.. and if you need help with flushing out ideas, or someone to poke holes in where the drama can come from, or a Karmic to spread the rumors.. let me know ;).

Wanted to move this here because I didn't want to hijack the other thread anymore than we already had *grins at Saber* annndddd... cuz well I figure it must needs to be discussed as it continually comes up.

And I mean this when I say, I am totally open to suggestions on better ways to handle this/work it/etc.... in ANY Case.. Here are the posts that started the conversation - I pasted them over here cuz I can't move posts out of threads and so... I can do this... :)

Saber:

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We just need more things like that, and perhaps a bit more leniency on the issue of Bar-fights and other combat. I understand not everyone wants to be attacked in the Cantina all the time, but once in a while a good Bar-fight or duel is fun.

And I responded, lengthily as I do:

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And again and again... I can explain why "every once in a while" can't really be controlled. Did you know that I believe three weeks ago some group came in and blew up Kwenn cantina? At least that's what I hear happened after I left for the night :).

This wasnt' a group that scheduled anything. It wasn't a group that checked with anyone. They just Rped it and blew up the cantina and ...whatever.

Point being, if YOU are not there that night YOU may think "Hey this once in a while bar fight no big deal" but if YOU aren't there every night then you can't know that maybe there was a fight here last night.. or two nights ago.. or a big fight a week ago.. or the place got exploded last week... so that "once in awhile" becomes "every week"..

And people stop coming.

Heck, even that one event on one night LATE at Kwenn resulted in people wondering the next week if they wanted to go back.

Several night last week during Imperial "Free form cantina" RP time (time where nothing specific is scheduled imp side heh so there's no security and no one there to play police) I saw people over and over and over again complaining in OOC chat about how someone is picking a fight everynight...

Your right, if the fights could stay once a month that would be great. But they DO NOT.

Its not like we ever say no one's a allowed to fight. We only ask people to literally walk 5 feet away and fight. And those people who WANT to SEE or be involved in the fight can FOLLOW.

Have your big brush up in the cantina and walk outside to fight. See how many follow you. Guess what, when not everyone follows you out.. not everyone wanted to see it or experience it or be a part of it. That's how many people would rather not be forced to experience it while you have YOUR fun in the middle of their fun. (and depending on who the characters are, sometimes yea the whole bar will go outside but that is really depending on what they saw in the bar and who the people already are heh...)

*I* totally understand that fights and duels and bar fights can be fun. I agree. They can be.

But I've also seen the other side. And unforuntately, inconsistent rules like "well sometimes we can have a fight" don't really work. And it just means that the few of us around here who are actually trying to keep "Sacred Ground" for others have even more problems. I mean as much fun as you don't have on the nights you show up and you know you can't fight, trust me, for those of us trying to enforce such things.. its not that much fun being on the other end either. Me, I keep it up because I know I'm doing right by others who thank me and tell me they appreciate it. But honestly if it was just me... I wouldn't even try anymore.. because no, its not fun on the other side either.

But in the end, the enforcement of the rules never works when the people to enforce them aren't around. So if you try to start a fight in a cantina on a night when none of us mean old fight police are around (said with a grin..) then there's no one to stop you. *shrugs*

Saber.. you had a fighting event that was for awhile going pretty well ... tell me why did it stop?

((And all YOUs in this are NOT Saber, they are anyone feeling 'hey why don't we just have a fight here this one time...' I hope Saber knows I love him and I miss him being around more out in the community... he just said the magic words :))

Saber's LAST POST to which this thread was then created from....

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I'd like to address a few of those points you made Karmic, and in advance in case I accidentally get a bit rude, know that I mean this with the utmost respect.

While I am sick of -strictly- cantina nights, I personally liked that there was actually RP in the Slippery Slopes, anymore people only go to the barge to RP on Nar Shaddaa. I personally think this is a bit weird that we use a barge but not a cantina on the planet (speaking of course by the logic that a cantina is a bit more contemporary than a pleasure barge, not saying that partying on a pleasure barge is weird, because it's not). I'd like to see more non-cantina/barge events, but you know, Slippery Slopes is nice too.

Now, on to the fighting thing, My problem isn't so much that you don't want a fight to happen, it's the way that it is enforced in such a way as "Our way or the highway". You shouldn't tell people how they should RP, because it's a two way street, acting with respect and respecting others RP choices.

Now, keep in mind, I don't think that a true bar fight has everyone whipping out pistols and lightsabers and bombs and everyone killing everyone. A true bar fight would likely be a drunken fist-fight, and if someone pulled a gun, it would be one of those 'Oh snap' moments. See, with a fist-fight, it can happen in relatively close proximity to perfectly peaceful groups with little danger of bystanders being hurt.

Telling people that they -have- to take it outside is honestly unrealistic and too controlling. You said something, Karmic, about having a brush-up in the cantina then taking it outside, how often do you see that in real life fights? It happens once in a while, but most of the time, fights are short and happen quickly and emotionally, there isn't any "Let's take this outside" when you're angry to the point of punching.

Now of course, an ideal fight code in RP is unlikely to happen, but still, you can only control yourself. You can't expect everyone to listen to you just because you have the backing of the majority of the out-spoken community, especially since many RP'ers aren't a part of this community solidly.